Armed forces personnel since 1816 in South Asia in 2022 — 2,727,000 people. Since 1948, the indicator has risen by 291.8%.
1948–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Asia
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.73M | −65,000 | −2.33% |
| 2021 | 2.79M | −14,000 | −0.5% |
| 2020 | 2.81M | +24,000 | +0.86% |
| 2019 | 2.78M | +62,000 | +2.28% |
| 2018 | 2.72M | +43,000 | +1.61% |
| 2017 | 2.68M | +112,000 | +4.37% |
| 2016 | 2.57M | −18,000 | −0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.58M | +14,000 | +0.54% |
| 2014 | 2.57M | −3,000 | −0.12% |
| 2013 | 2.57M | +20,000 | +0.78% |
| 2012 | 2.55M | +60,000 | +2.41% |
| 2011 | 2.49M | +42,000 | +1.71% |
| 2010 | 2.45M | +122,000 | +5.24% |
| 2009 | 2.33M | +0 | +0% |
| 2008 | 2.33M | −4,000 | −0.17% |
| 2007 | 2.33M | +55,000 | +2.42% |
| 2006 | 2.28M | +0 | +0% |
| 2005 | 2.28M | −36,000 | −1.56% |
| 2004 | 2.31M | −33,000 | −1.41% |
| 2003 | 2.35M | +32,000 | +1.38% |
| 2002 | 2.31M | +127,000 | +5.81% |
| 2001 | 2.19M | −436,000 | −16.62% |
| 2000 | 2.62M | +80,000 | +3.15% |
| 1999 | 2.54M | +390,000 | +18.11% |
| 1998 | 2.15M | +20,000 | +0.94% |
| 1997 | 2.13M | +27,000 | +1.28% |
| 1996 | 2.11M | −4,000 | −0.19% |
| 1995 | 2.11M | −38,000 | −1.77% |
| 1994 | 2.15M | +6,000 | +0.28% |
| 1993 | 2.14M | +0 | +0% |
| 1992 | 2.14M | +15,000 | +0.71% |
| 1991 | 2.13M | +94,000 | +4.62% |
| 1990 | 2.03M | +34,000 | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 2M | −61,000 | −2.96% |
| 1988 | 2.06M | +111,000 | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 1.95M | +17,000 | +0.88% |
| 1986 | 1.93M | +0 | +0% |
| 1985 | 1.93M | +160,000 | +9.03% |
| 1984 | 1.77M | +21,000 | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 1.75M | −135,000 | −7.16% |
| 1982 | 1.89M | +54,000 | +2.95% |
| 1981 | 1.83M | +104,000 | +6.02% |
| 1980 | 1.73M | −358,000 | −17.16% |
| 1979 | 2.09M | −20,000 | −0.95% |
| 1978 | 2.11M | −80,000 | −3.66% |
| 1977 | 2.19M | −181,000 | −7.65% |
| 1976 | 2.37M | −90,000 | −3.66% |
| 1975 | 2.46M | +207,000 | +9.2% |
| 1974 | 2.25M | −68,000 | −2.93% |
| 1973 | 2.32M | +187,000 | +8.78% |
| 1972 | 2.13M | +32,000 | +1.52% |
| 1971 | 2.1M | +29,000 | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 2.07M | +42,000 | +2.07% |
| 1969 | 2.03M | +70,000 | +3.58% |
| 1968 | 1.96M | +60,000 | +3.16% |
| 1967 | 1.9M | +69,000 | +3.77% |
| 1966 | 1.83M | +204,000 | +12.55% |
| 1965 | 1.63M | −6,000 | −0.37% |
| 1964 | 1.63M | +137,000 | +9.17% |
| 1963 | 1.49M | +311,000 | +26.29% |
| 1962 | 1.18M | +25,000 | +2.16% |
| 1961 | 1.16M | +314,000 | +37.2% |
| 1960 | 844,000 | +12,000 | +1.44% |
| 1959 | 832,000 | +53,000 | +6.8% |
| 1958 | 779,000 | +63,000 | +8.8% |
| 1957 | 716,000 | +62,000 | +9.48% |
| 1956 | 654,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1955 | 654,000 | +2,000 | +0.31% |
| 1954 | 652,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1953 | 652,000 | −18,000 | −2.69% |
| 1952 | 670,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1951 | 670,000 | −14,000 | −2.05% |
| 1950 | 684,000 | +1,000 | +0.15% |
| 1949 | 683,000 | −13,000 | −1.87% |
| 1948 | 696,000 | — | — |
The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.
Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.
Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.
The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.
Defense Armed forces as a share of the populationWhat share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.
Defense Military expenditure in dollarsThe absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.
Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)The share of GDP a country spends on defense.
Defense Military expenditure share of the budgetWhat part of government spending goes to defense.
Defense Arms exportsTransfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).